The Cell [DVD] (D)

Catherine Deane, a gifted psychotherapist, partakes in a new treatment that takes her inside the minds of catatonic patients, aiming to heal their emotional trauma. Whilst working on a comatose child, Deane is asked to enter into the mind of an unconscious serial killer in order to determine the whereabouts of his latest victim. Once inside Deane finds herself trapped there and a FBI agent is sent in to retrieve her. Much screen time is devoted to the scenarios that unfurl inside the psychopath’s mind - extensive and elaborate settings that feature the murderer, (as adult and child), Deane and the FBI agent interacting in various guises. A psychological thriller, “The Cell” mimics the gory excesses of films such as “Seven” and “Silence of the lambs”, following their patterning of gruesome depictions of (typically female) detestable and sadistic murder. Tarsem Singh’s debut feature is principally a visual feast of stylish extravagance that establishes his penchant for intricate set-ups, heavily reliant on computer generated graphics and blue screen technology to deliver the vision.